hibernal
- adjective
- /haɪˈbɜrnəl/
- Formal
:
invernal
- Many animals prepare for their hibernal period by gathering food and building shelters to survive the cold months.
- hibernal diapause
Examples
-
There is no direct evidence that European more than American immigrants successfully enter hibernal diapause in late summer, but there is some evidence showing the former's propensity for propitious diapause termination.
Academic text (1996) -
The wind and the snow have their origin in the tropical vapors that flow towards the Arctic, where they are frozen, spreading over the continent in the form of hibernal storms!
Fiction book (1994) -
Table 5. Consequences of changing photoperiods on the timely induction and termination of hibernal diapause. PREFORMATTED TABLE
Academic text (1996) -
The hibernal landscape was covered in a thick layer of snow, transforming the town into a winter wonderland.
-
She enjoys the hibernal activities like skiing and snowshoeing that bring joy to the cold season.
Synonyms
1
1.8
Having cold weather with snow and strong wind
Having the cold, snowy feeling of winter
Relating to winter, usually cold and snowy
Antonyms
How Wintry
Surface Forms
Morphology
hibernal = hibernate (semi-transparent) = hibern + al
The adjective is formed from the combining form hibern- + -al; learners who know 'hibernate' or 'hibernation' will likely infer 'relating to winter', but the Latin form 'hibern-' is not a common standalone English base.
Etymology
The word hibernal comes from the old Latin word hiems, meaning 'winter', and shares the same root as hibernate. So, hibernal describes things that belong to or happen in 'winter', like cold nights or an animal's winter sleep.